


i’m meeting you (and this city is dazzling)

by PhantasiaEXTRA



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cat/Human Hybrids, Doyoung is wHIPPED for Jungwoo, Fluff, Hybrids, Jungwoo is a Cat-Hybrid, Jungwoo is lowkey whipped too but like that’s a secret, Light Angst, Like three other ships lol, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Taeyong is too lol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2019-10-08 05:39:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17380640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantasiaEXTRA/pseuds/PhantasiaEXTRA
Summary: Jungwoo was simply a stray dreaming to find a home.Jungwoo ends up finding that home in a man by the name of Kim Doyoung.





	1. You and I, as bright as yesterday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so lik the Dowoo tag is drier than my crusty face holes sO I decided to write this fic because these two are actually the cutest together lik wtf. I just randomly thought about this idea one day btw and decided to write it lol

Jungwoo vaguely remembers being kicked out of his owner’s apartment. His last (and only) owners immediately leaving him out upon the streets the moment they realized their newborn baby was allergic to the kitten-hybrid. Jungwoo remembers meowing loudly scratching upon the entrance of the apartments, before being shooed away by some scary-looking man with a broom

Ever since, Jungwoo practically lived as a stray kitty, roaming about. Of course, since he was a hybrid, he could’ve easily shifted into his more human-like form, or even half and half like most hybrids did. But his cat form took in less food and was easier to beg in. It also didn’t help that he’d be freezing in his human-like form without any clothes. Plus when you’re a homeless stray, you go with the option that best fits your lifestyle. So, cat it is.

Most people had even assumed he was just a simple cat because he chooses to stay in his cat form instead of showing off his hybridness.

Jungwoo never really had many friends either. Most hybrids had owners or their own lives. Strays were an extremely rare occurrence as hybrids were a rare gem to find and generally many humans appreciated their presence and company. Most hybrids also had enhanced features and talents that made their work ethics better than that of a human being.

Jungwoo wants to have a job. He doesn’t want to sleep under boxes and approach random people in hopes that they’d feed him. But no one would want to take in someone like him. Afterall, he’s simply just some abandoned hybrid.

The only time he remembers having something like home was when he made friends with some boy named Lucas when he was nine. Jungwoo had jumped over into Lucas’s backyard to get away from being chased by a big dog. He remembers quickly shifting into his human-like form after he believed the coast was clear, keeping the ears and tail as he let out a sigh. Only to open his eyes as see a tiny child with his eyes widen and mouth completely agape.

“Uhhh... Hi?” Jungwoo squeaked out. The younger boy had immediately broke out into the biggest grin he has ever seen before rushing over to Jungwoo.

“Woah! Your ears are so big and cool!” The child had spoke, eyes glittering with amazement. Jungwoo tapped his cat ear slightly, tail gently waving side to side from the compliment.

“Oh. Thank yo-“

“Why are you naked though?”

Jungwoo remembers looking down, blushing brightly as he let out a yelp before covering his body. Lucas- as he learned was the boy’s name- quickly ran into his house before coming out with a complete outfit that had barely fit him.

Lucas was actually the one who had given him his name- Jungwoo- declaring that the name fitted the hybrid way too much to not use it. The hybrid remembers going to the younger’s house almost everyday- to sleepover, eat, play, etc.

But of course, every good thing must come to an end.

He hopped the fence as always, using his actual hands and fingertips instead of paws as he maneuvered over the wood, only to find Lucas crying on the grass.

“Xuxi! What’s wrong!?” Jungwoo had immediately pounced over to the younger, comforting him as tears streamed down his face.

“M-my parents are moving back to China and I’m gonna have to go with them. I don’t want to l-leave you though, Jungwoo.”

He held tightly onto the boy that night.

Jungwoo will never be able to explain how much it hurt when he arrived at Lucas’s place only to find out the younger one had already moved away.

So, he was back to staying as a cat, living in the streets hoping someone even bothered to glance at him.

Today was supposed to be like any other day. Jungwoo was simply approaching what seemed to be a couple. One of them was a cat-hybrid, just like himself. He had red hair and a pair of fluffy black cat ears poofing out of his hair. He was holding a coffee in his hand, sipping gingerly as he vaguely listened to the other man. The other man with black hair perfectly laid upon his forehead, was the one who had Jungwoo’s main interest. Not because he was handsome (which he was) but rather because he was holding some food that smelt rather delicious and Jungwoo wanted a bite. Or more. Depending on how much this man would be willing to give him if any at all.

The pair were walking so Jungwoo followed closely behind, looking up at the meal- that would hopefully be his soon- with his bright brown eyes, licking his mouth as he felt the light breeze blow through his whiskers.

Jungwoo finally let out a small meow, hoping the two could hear it. The man with the food doesn’t notice, but he could see the hybrid’s ears twitch before he turns around.

“Oh. Hey there, little buddy. Hey Doyoung, I think you must’ve forgotten to shower or something, looks like you’re starting to attract some followers.” The hybrid teases with a smile, and wow, Jungwoo has to admit that this hybrid was super pretty. One Jungwoo would totally mate with- but that’s not important! For now, don’t worry about his non-existent love life. Right now, Jungwoo has to figure out whether or not he’s sleeping with food inside of his stomach.

Doyoung- Jungwoo current target turns around to see Jungwoo. Show time. Jungwoo immediately lets out a soft sounding mrrow, as he blinks slowly, moving towards Doyoung. Doyoung smiles softly- and wow if the hybrid had a nice smile then this guy must have the literal sun taped inside his mouth- as he squats down.

“Hi there.” Doyoung speaks- and oh my gosh he has a nice voice too. Jungwoo takes a small moment to chill before he goes back into feeding mode.

Mrrow

He includes a soft purr as he begins to strut towards Doyoung, moving his whole soft body around the man, pressing against his legs as he continues to look into the man’s eyes- and oh my, why is everything about this man so handsome!?

“Meow?” Jungwoo lets out as he makes eye contact with the food, licking his mouth once again.

“I think he wants some of your food.” The hybrid speaks. Jungwoo twists his small head around. He almost tries to nod at the hybrid before he realizes that a cat nodding in response may seem suspicious. Especially to a hybrid of his own kind, who would notice more and know more than your advantage human.

“No shit, Sherlock. Damn Taeyong, I would’ve never known. I’m so glad you’re here to translate for me.” Doyoung chuckles. He hears the hybrid- Taeyong- let out a deep breath- under said breath he could hear a slight mumble of damn why you gotta be so bitchy about it. If Jungwoo was in the same form as Taeyong, he most likely would’ve let out a snort in response. But instead, he flares his little pink nose slightly.

“Hi. You hungry, little bud?” Doyoung coos as he holds out a hand- sadly not the hand with the food, but Jungwoo thinks he’s almost there so he continues nevertheless.

“Merow.” Jungwoo makes the noise again, bumping his head into Doyoung’s hand before licking his pointer finger. Doyoung lets out another laugh as he completely sits on the concrete floor.

“Okay then, here you go, kitty. Take the whole thing.” Doyoung places the entirety of the small paper tray on the floor. Jungwoo almost wants to pounce on Doyoung, maybe shift into his human form just so he could give the man a great big kiss for the meal because no one has ever offered the rest of their food when there was still such a good amount left. Jungwoo immediately finds his sharp teeth sinking into slices of some sort of meat. Jungwoo can’t seem to care in that moment- the only thing he knows is that- it’s good. And he hasn’t eaten very much the past few days so this was basically his oasis in miles of desert.

“Wow. There was still quite a-lot of that left, don’t you think you’re already spoiling that cat?” Taeyong asks. Jungwoo could take his words offensively, but the hybrid holds no actual bite in his words. The words are more laced with curiosity than anything else, so he decides to ignore it.

“Nah. It wasn’t even that expensive. It was like five dollars. I’ll live.” Doyoung claims as he strokes Jungwoo’s back, smiling down gently. Jungwoo pulls away from the tray after he finished devouring the food within said tray. He arches his back, letting out a soft purr as Doyoung continued to run his fingertips along Jungwoo’s fur with a humongous grin on his face, gums showing and all.

“Doyoung. No.” Jungwoo turns his head at Taeyong’s words. The voice is strangely strict and completely different from what he had heard from the red-head beforehand. Jungwoo suddenly feels himself being lifted off the ground. His primal instincts demands him to scratch, claw, hiss- anything. But when he’s pressed against Doyoung’s chest and can feel his warmth and feel the soft vibrations of his heartbeat- Jungwoo can’t bring himself to do any harm despite the small rush of panic that drapes through his head. Instead he stays put in Doyoung’s arms- purring even louder than he was before.

“Please, Taeyong! I’ve never seen an animal that liked me as much as this one! Look at her! Isn’t she so pretty? She doesn’t even look like stray cat.” Doyoung pouts. Jungwoo decides to ignore the fact that Doyoung has misgendered him. His purring stopped after those words, but Jungwoo stays cuddled up against Doyoung’s shirt. Jungwoo can’t extremely blame Doyoung. He guesses it would be harder to tell his gender in his cat form.

“Firstly, that cat is a boy, not a girl.”

Jungwoo mentally thanks Taeyong for correcting Doyoung. 

“Secondly, your own brother is allergic to cats Doyoung, come on!” Taeyong argues, his hand on his hip.

“Well then, he’s very pretty,” Doyoung clearly states. Jungwoo hears the words echo in his ears. He called me pretty. Jungwoo feels like the warmth is starting to get overbearing “Besides! Jeno isn’t allergic to you!”

“That’s because I’m not a cat, Doyoung. I’m a cat-hybrid.” Taeyong hisses out. Jungwoo notices how Taeyong’s tail refuses to move even an inch, it stays still, pointing straight to the ground.

“That cat…” Taeyong looks at Jungwoo’s eyes. Completely making eye contact with him and Jungwoo just hopes he doesn’t notice anything. “Is definitely not a hybrid.”

Jungwoo feels like Doyoung’s about to stomp the floor with his foot like a little kid with the expression he’s holding upon his face.

“But Jeno always loved cats! He always begged our parents for one and you know that’s true. Plus he always plays with your ears whenever he sees you.”

“Do you even have time to care for a cat, Doyoung? You’re a university student. We barely have time for ourselves, Doyoung. Don’t be selfish.”

Jungwoo feels Doyoung caress his body closer to his own body- if that was even possible- before he speaks. “I’m not. I’ll make time for him.”

Jungwoo feels his own body finally being lifted away from Doyoung’s chest as the man places his hands beneath his arms. Doyoung twists Jungwoo’s body around to have the kitty face him as he holds a heartwarming smile upon his face.

“Do you wanna come home with me?”

Yes! Yes!

Jungwoo wants to freaking shout those words out loud with all his lungs.

Was this actually happening?

It was such a far fetched idea to Jungwoo, that someone- anyone- would ever want to take in a stray like him. He wasn’t anything special.

Yeah, many people would argue that he’s a hybrid therefore he’s more special than a normal human, but the concept of hybrids starts to grow old and mundane in Jungwoo’s eyes. It’s cool and interesting for a human, maybe, but when you’re a hybrid yourself, it’s not like you live with your head in the clouds assuming you’re simply more special than anyone else. You’re just- you. And from there lines between hybrids and humans begin to blur.

Hybrids have hopes and dreams just like everyone else. They also want to find happiness and love. Sure, they can transform to mimic humans in their looks and transform into their respective animal, but Jungwoo doesn’t understand the strong hype on it.

He has cat ears and a tail attached to his body. So what?

Of course, Jungwoo doesn’t overlook or unappreciate of what’s he’s given as a hybrid. He understands that his vision is sharper than that of a human. His hearing is better, he’s generally faster, you name it. He knows his shifting powers come in extremely useful as well. But in the end. He wasn’t anyone else. He was just- Jungwoo. Hell, he didn’t even have a last name! 

Yet now he was gonna have a home?

An owner?

Jungwoo felt the need to sob in this man’s arms.

But instead he lets out an alarmingly sounding,

“Meow!”

He sees Doyoung flitch back slightly from his volume and all he does is hope that the man doesn’t take back his words. Jungwoo would be lying if he said he didn’t feel his heart flutter the tiniest bit when the man breaks out into the biggest smile he’s seen on the man so far.

Doyoung places Jungwoo back onto his chest, petting his head gently as he looks to Taeyong.

“See! Even he wants to come home with me!” Doyoung claims as he begins scratching Jungwoo’s head as the cat leans back, pushing himself into Doyoung’s touch. Taeyong glances as Jungwoo once again, who opens his eyes and stares at Taeyong for a second. Jungwoo blinks softly.

“Mreow..?”

Please.

Taeyong lets out a small sigh.

“Okay.”

*** 

Okay. Okay. Okay. There’s no need to be freaking out I’m okay. I’m okay.

Jungwoo suddenly hears a noise from behind him, forcing him to bolt into the nearest room and crawl under the first thing he sees in panic- which ends up being a bed.

What was that?!

“Kitty? Where’d you go? I just closed the door, are you okay?”

Oh. It was just the door. Hah. Of course. Jungwoo, you silly little cat. See? Everything is just fine!

Despite Jungwoo telling himself all these comforting thoughts he can’t find himself moving out from underneath the bed. He’s frozen still.

Everything just seemed so overwhelming and the place and everything seems so huge. He could hear every little noise in that moment and it was driving his head crazy and he felt like he had a massive headache.

Of course this wasn’t the first house he’s ever been in, he used to be in Lucas’s old house all the time. However, this was his first time as a full fledged cat in someone’s house. He suddenly hear footsteps coming and despite his head shouting at him- which really doesn’t help with the headache- that it’s simply Doyoung. He finds himself believing that it’s something else and his mind feels like it went insane.

What if Doyoung knows I’m a hybrid and just brought me here to be sold off like some slave!?

What if he eats cats?

Oh my god, he’s actually gonna eat me alive.

This is how I die.

With all these thoughts spiraling in his head it’s a wonder how he spotted the worst one in his mind.

What if Doyoung realized that he didn’t want to keep me?

Jungwoo hears the door be pushed a bit as a pair of feet covered by socks enter his view.

“Kitty?”

“Meow.”

Jungwoo quickly lets the noise out in hopes of informing his new owner of his location. He just hopes Doyoung could understand that the whole place just felt… out of place. And Jungwoo just hoped the man would understand that he just needed some time before he really got used to the new environment he was in.

Jungwoo guesses he was asking for a bit much. 

“There you are! Are you okay? There’s nothing to be afraid of. Come out here?” Doyoung says as he drops to the ground, eyes peeking into the underside of his bed.

Doyoung’s voice is soothing and strangely inviting. But all Jungwoo could do in response is

“Mreow..”

Let out a distressing “meow”.

“I’m not here to hurt you. I won’t ever hurt you. Just come out, okay?”

God, the words seem so welcoming and it makes Jungwoo want to jump out into the man’s arms once again to feel his touch on his fur or even his skin.

Yet for some reason when hands come under the bed and near Jungwoo, his natural instincts come in and instead he lets out a loud hiss before biting into Doyoung’s hand. Jungwoo would be lying if he said he hadn’t felt extremely guilty when the man pulled his hands back in obviously pain.

“Ouch!” Doyoung lets out a sigh as Jungwoo lets out another meow in apology- despite the man obviously not understanding him. “Don’t worry, I’m not hurt.”

Jungwoo wants to let out a whimper, already internally scolding himself for injuring his owner. He hears the man get up and exit the room, closing the door on the way out and Jungwoo is already sure that he messed up.

Of course.

Good things always come to an end for Jungwoo.

The next thing he knows, Doyoung will be kicking him out of the small home without a second thought.

Jungwoo’s ears suddenly twitch as a loud ringing can suddenly be heard. Before it just simply. Stops.

“Taeyong? My cat… he’s hiding under the bed. Anyway to get him out?”

A pause.

“Of course, I’m keeping him is that even a question?” Doyoung huffs out.

If Jungwoo is honest, he could feel the relief rush to his head.

“What!? Right now?”

A doorbell can suddenly be heard before Jungwoo hears his owner rush towards the entrance.

What?

“I should’ve known it was a bad idea to leave you alone with a cat. You’ve never even owned a pet in your life! You’re lucky I’m here to save your sad ass.” 

Jungwoo immediately recognizes the voice as Taeyong’s and he feels himself sinking further back.

Taeyong was also a cat-hybrid. They were the same level on the same turf and that was plainly a dangerous game to balance.

“Why were you already on your way here? Do you really not trust me that much?”

Jungwoo feels like he could just hear Taeyong’s eye roll somehow as well as Doyoung’s pout.

“Obviously I don’t trust you. Is that even a question? But I was also coming here to give you this.”

Jungwoo hears small ruffing noises- assuming from some sort of bag- as Taeyong pulls out something.

“A collar?”

A collar? Jungwoo copies Doyoung’s words on his head.

“I’m glad you have eyes to see that, Doyoung. Yeah. I got it by my favorite shop, you know the one by that one really cute Japanese store?”

“Don’t they sell collars for hybrids there though? Mine cat is just a cat- he’s not a hybrid?”

“Well yeah, but these collars are super comfy. The one I’m wearing right now is actually from there. Besides, it’ll work on your cat. Hybrid collars are just like normal collars except they’re made to be able to stretch out and shrink whenever a hybrid shifts. I specifically got a cat-hybrid collar so yeah, it should work perfectly. I got the tag and everything prepared for you. You better be grateful, you little shit.”

Jungwoo listens as Doyoung lets out a chuckle.

“How does Ten deal with you?”

“Why you little-!”

“I’m joking! Thank you, Taeyong. Really.”

“Your welcome. Anyways. Have you named him yet?”

“Oh! No I haven’t.”

“That’s good.”

Huh. Why?

“Huh. Why?”

Jungwoo wants to let out a giggle when he hears his owner repeat his own thoughts.

“No reason. Have you gotten everything else yet? You know. Food, bed, toys?

Jungwoo doesn’t hear a reply come from Doyoung. After a moment though, he does hear a sigh leave Taeyong’s mouth.

“I should’ve thought so.”

Jungwoo hears loud clanking noises, sounding like metal hitting against each other.

“Here’s your keys. Go out and get essentials for cat. I’ll watch over him.”

“Wait. What?”

Jungwoo suddenly hears a loud thumble before he hears a door being loudly slammed shut before a small click can be heard. Afterwards, he hears loud banging against the door.

“Lee Taeyong! Did you actually just lock me out of my own house!?”

“I’ll let you back in when you come back with your cat’s new stuff. Bye Doyoung!”

Jungwoo feels like he could hear the smallest sigh before steps can be heard gradually fading away the further they went until they were no longer heard.

Everything is silent for a long moment, Jungwoo doesn’t dare move.

It’s just him and Taeyong now.

After another moment of silence, Jungwoo suddenly hears footsteps coming towards his room. The door swings open and Jungwoo could swear that he holds his breath.

“You’re here, aren’t you?”

Jungwoo doesn’t reply.

“Don’t try to pretend you’re not. I could smell you. Did you forget that I’m a cat-hybrid?” 

Jungwoo hears as Taeyong sit down, supposingly on a chair in the room. He lets go of his breath.

“I could hear you now too. Come out from under the bed.”

Jungwoo moves further back. He’s body suddenly shaking softly.

“I said. Come out.”

Jungwoo knows he can’t hide anymore. He shuts his eyes close and takes in a deep breath before he exits from under the bed. Too his surprise, Taeyong is already waiting on the other side, crouching to the floor. Jungwoo lefts his head up, making eye contact with Taeyong. Jungwoo quickly finds himself shutting his eyes closed once again. As he does so, he feels his body being lifted up from the ground.

Jungwoo will admit, the hybrid’s touch is gente, delicate even. But the sense of fear doesn’t leave his body as he feels Taeyong place him down upon a soft surface before wrapping a blanket? Around him. He hears Taeyong move away and sit down once again before Jungwoo opens his eyes finding himself on the bed, blanket still draped on his body. As he twists his head slightly though, he could see Taeyong’s gaze upon him.

“Shift.” Taeyong demands.

Jungwoo almost freezes, oxygen getting caught up in his throat. He must’ve heard Taeyong incorrectly.

“I know you’re also a cat-hybrid.” Taeyong clarifies to Jungwoo.

Jungwoo feels as if his heart completely stopped in that moment. A mixture of panic and fear rushes throughout his body.

“I know you’re just like me. So shift.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mMMMM SO LIK I decided to write this instead of do my hw which is practically a whole essay and I haven’t even started yet lol so imma get zero sleep tonight kids 😔 It’s like really late rn lol. But I hope you enjoyed this chapter anyways even tho it lowkey (Highkey) not v good lol. Stan NCT okie byee


	2. Believe me all my moments are headed to you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LMAO I TOOK OVER A MONTH TO UPDATE IM SO SORRY BBYS. Lowkey I feel lik this chapter feels rushed but I spend quite some time on it please love me + support Dowoo and NCT 127 on their tour 🤧💞

Taeyong’s eyes never leave Jungwoo. Jungwoo’s eyes are shaking with desperation. What’s gonna happen to him?

With that thought in his mind, he hears Taeyong let out a sigh.

“Look. I’m not gonna do anything bad to you. I just want to make sure your intentions with Doyoung are in good nature. I might not be the nicest to Doyoung sometimes, but he’s still one of my closest friends and I’d hate to see him hurt or anything along those lines.”

Taeyong’s voice is almost a whisper in his last line.

“I can’t bare to see him hurt again. So please.”

Jungwoo looks up from his paws, Taeyong is looking straight into his eyes. Jungwoo hadn’t notice at the time but the man’s eyes are soft. Not threatening in even the slightly bit...

…

Jungwoo looks away from Taeyong and closes his eyes...

…

And then he shifts.

…

The feeling is strange. He never shifted in front of anyone before except Lucas nor has he shifted ever again since Lucas. When he could feel the blanket wrapped around his skin and not fur, it’s almost unnerving in a way. 

He internally thanked Taeyong for the blanket which covered his currently naked body. The first thing he notices is the light pressure of the blanket on his body. The next thing he notices is that his hair definitely needed a haircut since he could barely see with his black bangs partially covering his eyes. The third thing is notices is that he’s grown since when he used to shift as a small child. His limbs were longer than before, leaner and thinner too. Fourthly, that Doyoung’s home didn’t feel as big or overbearing in this form when he looked around the room.

The last thing he notices is that Taeyong is still in front of him.

“...Hi?” Jungwoo squeaked out, using his arms to completely cocoon himself into the blanket. Jungwoo is surprised when Taeyong simply smiles softly at him, getting up from his chair and leaning forward to brush Jungwoo’s hair away from his eyes, pushing them back towards his cat ears which twitch in the process. Taeyong turns around, grabbing something upon the floor before turning back towards Jungwoo, pushing the object into his hands.

“There’s some of my clothes to change into in there. It’s not much and it looks like I guessed your size a bit off so it might be a bit big. Once you’re done dressing, find me in the living room, okay? Let’s talk. Cat-Hybrid to fellow cat-hybrid.” Taeyong states, already heading towards the door. Jungwoo had scrabbled slightly with the bag suddenly shoved towards his body, he tries his best to not have the bag fall to the ground with best efforts- since not using his human hands for years now have left him a tad rusty.

Once Jungwoo hears the door close, he lets out a long sigh as he feels the blanket slowly droop off his bare back. He grips the bag tightly in his hands.

What am I doing here?

Jungwoo brushes his hair further back with his fingers before shaking his head. He takes in a deep breath… And lets it go.

Jungwoo almost wants to bang his head against the wall. Was he really gonna let this unexpected event to bring him down? After all these years he finally found an owner. He isn’t gonna let go of Doyoung that easily already. Jungwoo slaps his cheeks with both of his hands, letting out a soft huff before he opens the bag Taeyong handed to him.

He pulls out a pile of fabric, all smelling particularly nice and warm. Jungwoo pulls the pieces apart before hazardly throwing them onto his body. As he pulls the plain white t-shirt over his head, he notices a mirror in the corner of the room. He quickly ties the cord to the grey sweatpants and slips on the pair of bland socks before making his way over to the mirror.

He’s changed.

A huge amount too.

Jungwoo practically presses his entire face against the mirror as he examines the changes.

He lost a-lot of his baby fat. His past chubby cheeks left behind cheeks that were still a tad squishy, but thinner nevertheless. Jungwoo was a-lot taller now too. Long legs reaching towards the ground. His hair, as mentioned before, was a tad bit long but a quick trim would be able to fix that problem.

Jungwoo doesn’t want to seem narcissistic but… his human form has grown to be quite attractive. Jungwoo smiles to himself in the mirror, twisting his body side to side, adjusting some of his clothes before he does a full turn after letting out a giggle. He places both of his hands onto the mirror- most likely leaving fingerprints- as he tilts his head, ears laid delicately on his head as his tail swings back and forth. Jungwoo doesn’t want to ever admit it, but he feels better in this form. He feels like he could finally breathe properly.

He loves the weightlessness of everything. How every little thing that seemed big and scary was magically something simple and boring when he was in this form. He’d be able to do more with a pair of legs and hands. As well as still have certain advantages that came along his cat form. Jungwoo almost forgot how amazing he felt when he was in this form instead. It hurt his heart just that tiniest bit when he realized he most likely wouldn’t be able to stay in that form for long or even ever again after this one time.

Afterall, he wasn’t just a random stray hybrid anymore. Jungwoo has an owner now. And he must play his part in his owner’s life. Which meant being a cat. Not a cat-hybrid. Doyoung wouldn’t know about his shifting- shouldn’t know about his shifting. Jungwoo let out a sigh as he looked at his reflection once again. His bright cheeks dusted with a tiny hint of red, his long eyelashes decorated his shining eyes, and his lips were a perfect tint of a pinkish-red.

Jungwoo draws his lips into a straight line and furrows his eyebrows as he turns away from the mirror.

What a waste of this form.

Jungwoo thinks to himself as he walks towards the door and grabs onto the doorknob, mentally preparing himself before he turns the knob and pushes the door open. The lights are way brighter than preferred, but Jungwoo’s eyes adapt quickly as he makes his way towards Taeyong, immediately finding the man in the small environment. Jungwoo feels himself fiddle with the hem of his- well technically Taeyong’s- shirt.

“Hey…” Jungwoo mumbles out with his soft voice as he takes a seat across from Taeyong. Jungwoo doesn’t knows exactly why he feels so… so… nervous? Something within him finds comfort in Taeyong, but there’s this whole other part of him that finds Taeyong as a threat against him. Jungwoo doesn’t allow his thoughts to continue when a word slips from Taeyong’s lips.

“Hi.” Taeyong smiles as he says the words, the tip of his tail gently tapping against the leather couch.

“Don’t be so stiff… I said that I wouldn’t do anything to you. Do you believe me?” Taeyong questions, his grin dropping slightly as his ears press down against his head.

Did Jungwoo believe him?

His answer came immediately in the form of a aggressive nod which causes the red-head to giggle.

“Let’s get straight to the point, okay? Why are you here? Why did you have to hide the fact that you were a hybrid to us?” Taeyong asks. His eyes turn sharp as his ears point straight to the ceiling. Jungwoo opens his mouth but to his embarrassment, he can’t seem to get any words past his lips.

“I-I…” Jungwoo takes in a deep breath, his tail wrapped over his left thigh as his black ears are placed flat upon his head. 

“I- I’m just not comfortable showing off the fact that I’m a hybrid, I guess. There’s a bigger reason as to why, but I think that’s a story for a different time. There’s also the fact that I’m rarely in this form” Jungwoo gestures to his body, “anyways, so I thought I would’ve been just fine pretending to be a cat I guess.”

“And are you? Would you really be okay living as a house cat?” Taeyong whispers the words as if they were some sort of secret to be kept from the world. A part of Jungwoo almost believes they are. But Jungwoo tilts his head, smiling softly as he hears the words leave his own mouth.

“I don’t know, honestly. But I always wanted an constant in my life. Now that I’m given the chance, that route just seems more secure.” Jungwoo looks down into his own lap, the fingers are fidgety against one another, grin falling from his face. “I don’t want to risk anything.” His own voice claws and scratches at his throat and his own words feel heavy on his tongue. He waits for a reply that feels like it’s taken years to come.

“Okay.” Taeyong’s voice is accepting. Jungwoo almost can’t believe it- doesn’t believe it.

“Okay?”

Taeyong nods.

“Okay. You’re gonna be staying here, right? I wasn’t planning to kick you out in the first place.”

Jungwoo eyes practically burst out in joy, his tail immediately lifting off his lap and into the air, tip swaying back and forth peacefully as a smile decorated his face.

“But!”

Jungwoo freezes.

“You know you’ll have to tell him eventually. Or else he’ll end up finding out on his own. You won’t want that… Trust me.”

The words fill was a hint of sorrow as they hit the end and Jungwoo feels his mind fill with curiosity.

“You probably want me to tell you why in detail, but that’s for a different time,” Taeyong stands up from the couch, walking over to the kitchen counter before grabbing a small bag off of the surface, pulling out a collar- his collar?- out of the bag.

“Do you have a name?” Taeyong questions. Jungwoo pauses for a moment before replying- not realizing that the question was directed towards him.

“Oh! Yeah! It’s Jungwoo… Nothing too cool, I know.” Jungwoo slips the statements out of his mouth, standing up in the process. Taeyong lets out a respectfully loud laugh- a sound Jungwoo has already decided he liked.

“I think it suits you.”

The sentence vaguely feels familiar. It takes Jungwoo a moment before he realizes why. The words cause him to feel that warm calming feeling in his chest, almost exact to how Jungwoo felt the time Lucas had told him practically the same thing. He feels warm. He feels something he hasn’t felt in a while.

He feels like he made a new friend.

And with that Jungwoo smiles brightly- perhaps even borderline creepy. 

“Thank you. My friend gave it to me- my best friend actually. I haven’t seen him in a long while though.” Jungwoo informs, cheerfully walking towards Taeyong.

“Really? What happened?”

It’s an innocent question really, but it causes some sadness to gently crack through Jungwoo’s heart as he recalls the memory.

“He moved far far away… It’s okay, though. He’ll always be right here.” Jungwoo claims as he points towards his chest, in the area his heart should be. The corners of Taeyong’s lips move up towards his cheeks, forming a soft smile on the hybrid’s face.

“Maybe you could tell me more about him while we walk to the store?” Taeyong offers. Jungwoo was about to nod without a care in the world before he realizes what the hybrid had asked for.

“Oh! You mean... right now? Outside? In this form?” Jungwoo questions rapidly. He brings his hand up to his mouth, biting nervously at his nail. His mind are full of thoughts, as he disconnected himself from the world for a moment before Jungwoo felt warm hands cover his ears.

“You don’t need to come out with these if you aren’t ready. But we need to get your name engraved on this tag, don’t we? You’ll be okay. I’m here too.” Taeyong comforts. It helps Jungwoo calm down as his heart rate slows down its pace

Jungwoo smiles softly at Taeyong, glad that the hybrid isn’t pushing him into anything. Jungwoo closes his eyes, focusing carefully as his ears become less sensitive and his tail disappears from his senses completely. Jungwoo lets out the breath he hadn’t even known he was holding.

“Thank you…” Jungwoo murmurs. He almost thinks he murmured a tad bit too quiet for Taeyong to hear but the man lets out a huge grin as he grabs Jungwoo’s hand in his own.

“Let's get going then! I don’t know how much time we til Doyoung gets back.”

 

*** 

 

“Here, you just type this in here then you click that button and it’ll engrave your tag for you.” Taeyong gently informs Jungwoo who stares at the large machine in front of him with amazement- a very similar one to when he walked into the store and immediately saw a handful of hybrids roam about. Taeyong catches on to that amazement quickly and chuckles.

You can’t exactly blame Jungwoo. The man’s basically never been anywhere but the streets. Being able to enter a building without being shooed away on the spot felt- nice. Really nice actually. A type of nice he wouldn’t mind in his everyday life. Jungwoo wouldn’t mind it at all.

“Are you gonna type in your name or do you want me to do that part as well?” Taeyong’s words quickly brings Jungwoo back as the hybrid shakes his head back and forth.

“I-I could do it. Sorry…” Jungwoo leans forward, his face would’ve been directly placed against the screen if Taeyong hadn’t gently pushed him back, telling him how he didn’t have to be so close.

“Right…” Jungwoo brings his hand up before pressing onto the letters upon the screen.

J.

U.

N.

G.

W.

O.

O.

Jungwoo is about to click the big red confirm button before he hears Taeyong’s voice behind him.

“Wait! There’s one more thing you have to add.”

Jungwoo scrunches his face up in confusion but moves to the side anyways. As Taeyong steps forward, he moves the typer bar to the front of his name. Jungwoo watches over Taeyong’s shoulder as he types a three letter word into the machine.

K.

I.

M.

Taeyong then taps onto the huge confirm button in the corner. Jungwoo watches as a pop up appears on the screen.

‘Is this the name you’d like to confirm?’

“KIM JUNGWOO”

Taeyong presses onto the green ‘YES’ button as the machine processes the name given before it starts carving into the tag.

“Kim? Where’s that from?” Jungwoo asks Taeyong. The hybrid tail gently swayed side to side as a small smile appeared on the red-head.

“Kim Dongyoung. It’s Doyoung’s last name. Since you’re his hybrid now, I suppose that you’ll also have the same last name.” Taeyong grins.

“Dongyoung?” Jungwoo tips his head to the side in confusion.

“Oh. That’s Doyoung’s birth name. He just goes by Doyoung though. He even introduces himself as just Kim Doyoung.” Taeyong informs.

“Oh. It’s done!” Taeyong pulls out the tag from the silt in the machine handing it over to Jungwoo. Jungwoo takes the tag into his hands, feeling over the words engraved onto the tag, spelling out the name “Kim Jungwoo”.

Kim Jungwoo.

Kim.

Jungwoo.

Jungwoo Kim.

Jungwoo liked that sound of that. He can’t stop the bright grin that shows up upon his face.

“Don’t lose it, okay? We still need to connect it back onto your collar when we get back. Roam around some, yeah? I need to pick up a few things here. I’ll come find you when I’m done, okay? There’s another place I want to take you after this.”

“Oh. Y-yeah, okay!”

Taeyong smiles as he begins walking away from Jungwoo, soft grin upon his lips as he backs away while waving. Jungwoo waves back before the hybrid turns his back.

Jungwoo stands there for a second alone with the tag between his fingertips- not knowing what to do after Taeyong left.

“Excuse me, mister! Can we get through?”

Jungwoo turns around at the squeaky voice as he sees a tiny deer hybrid holding hands with another fox hybrid.

“O-oh! My bad, I’m sorry, I’ll move out of the way.”

“You’re kinda weird, mister. But thank you!”

The deer hybrid giggles as she pulls along the other hybrid with her. The two small girls running down the aisles.

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to look around, huh…” Jungwoo mumbles to himself as he stuffs the tag into his pocket. Jungwoo begins to walk around the store, somehow finding himself at some sort of stuffed animal section.

“Aww. You’re pretty cute!” Jungwoo comments as he picks up a small Koala plushie, feeling it’s soft material against his skin.

“Oh, I want you! You’re so cute!” Jungwoo says before he hugs the stuffed animal tightly, his eyes shut and all.

“Jungwoo?!”

Jungwoo twists his body around, stuffed animal still in his hand to see a tall (see: giant) man in front of him with a huge goofy grin on his face. He takes a look over, looking at the handsome man from top to bottom.

“Oh my gosh! Jungwoo-hyung, it’s actually you, isn’t it?!” The man looks like he’s about to pounce onto Jungwoo which has Jungwoo taking a step back, pressing the stuffed koala closer to his chest.

“I’m sorry… Do I know you?” Jungwoo carefully asks. The man’s smile drops for a moment before it come back as quickly as it went away.

“Jungwoo. It’s me! Lucas!” The man- Lucas practically shouts.

Jungwoo’s eyes actually sparkle at the words, his jaw dropping as he stares at Lucas. As he continues to stare he finally realizes the similarities despite Lucas’ looks changing. The moment he realizes his smile is uncontrol, Jungwoo almost feels like he’s on the verge of tears.

Wong Lucas.

His Lucas.

His Yukhei.

The one he missed the most for years.

“Xuxi?” Jungwoo breaths out. Jungwoo was able to take a step closer before he was pulled back by a hand.

“Jungwoo, there you are! We need to get going! Now! Doyoung is almost already home! Let’s go!” Taeyong yells, Jungwoo whips his head back to see the red-head obvious panic in his face.

“Taeyong!? D-Did you get everything you needed?”

Taeyong shook his head.

“There’s no time for that. I could get it another time. But I need you to be home. Now.” Taeyong pulls Jungwoo’s arm along who’s forced to follow Taeyong who practically runs out of the store.

All Lucas’ cries of “wait” are forced to be ignored as the two cat hybrids run out. Jungwoo continues to run but turns around, watching the younger before he completely disappears from his sight.

“Lucas…” Jungwoo mumbles, his eyebrows furrowed.

“Taxi! Oh my gosh, please hurry. Stop for us already!” Taeyong cries out in obvious distress. The taxi barely makes it to the edge and unlocks its doors before Taeyong practically shoved him into the small car and tells the driver the address as Jungwoo follows in, closing the door softly behind him. 

The driver begins driving before Taeyong lets out a sigh, leaning back into the seat.

“I’m sorry I had to rush you out like that Jungwoo… But who were you talking to?”

“Lucas…”

Was all Jungwoo was able to whisper out.

“I’m sorry, who? I didn’t quite catch that.”

“Lucas. That was Lucas.” Jungwoo says, looking up at the car ceiling in order to not let his tears fall onto his lap. Taeyong lets out a gasp before he places his hand over Jungwoo’s.

“Oh my gosh… I’m so sorry, Jungwoo…” Taeyong murmurs out, his ears drooping to his hair. Jungwoo gathers all of his power to look over at Taeyong and smile.

“It’s okay. You were in a rush. You didn’t know.” Jungwoo speaks as he holds Taeyong’s hand back.

“It’s nice to know he’s back in Korea though. Especially since he’s even in the same city! I’ll find him again. I just know it.” Jungwoo says with a smile on his face.

That’s right.

He’ll see Lucas again.

He will.

The rest of the ride was silent, with light nervous tapping here and there from Taeyong.

The moment the two of them arrived Taeyong practically hopped out of the car after thanking and paying for the driver’s surfaces. Jungwoo followed suit as he exited the car before entering the apartment complex. He sees Taeyong waiting by the elevator and waits beside him.

“Did you press the button yet?”

“Yeah… I’m just waiting.”

As soon as Taeyong’s words leave his mouth, the elevator door lets out a ding before it opens and a small crowd leave the elevator. Jungwoo bounces into the small elevator as Taeyong follows suit. They press the button to Doyoung’s floor before a voice paralyzes them for a moment.

“Taeyong! Keep the door open!”

Jungwoo backs up into the corner the elevator.

It’s Doyoung.

“Fuck.” Taeyong murmurs as he aggressively slams onto the close button.

“Taeyong! Don’t mess with me now, these bags aren’t light!”

“Bye Doyoung!” Taeyong replies back in a shout as he the door finally closes. The cat hybrid lets out a sigh as he runs his fingers through his hair.

“Do you… Do you think he saw me?” Jungwoo asks, biting onto his nail. Taeyong shakes his head.

“No, I don’t think so. We need to get you into his apartment though. And fast. I don’t know how fast this elevator will get back down cause I know that Doyoung won’t be walking up to his floor, but let’s hope it gives us enough time.”

The elevator lets off a soft ding as the doors open. Taeyong and Jungwoo immediately exit the elevator and make their way towards Doyoung’s door.

Taeyong pulls out the keys shoved into his pocket and he quickly finds the spare one to Doyoung’s apartment. Taeyong pushes the key into the keyhole, turns the key, and attempts to push the door open. Focus on the word ‘attempts’.

“Why isn’t this working!?” Taeyong says, in almost a whiny way as he pulls the key out and tries again. Same result.

“Maybe try to flip it?” Jungwoo suggests.

Taeyong does as told.

“It doesn’t even fit that way!” Taeyong groans out.

He pushes the key in and tries turning again, pushing at the door with more strength.

“Come on, come on!” Taeyong sends a particularly rough shove towards the door which cause the door to finally swing open, hitting the wall in the process.

“Finally! Come on! Go in!” Jungwoo lets out a nod as he enter the room, but the second his foot presses onto the cool flooring,

“Damn it, Taeyong! Is it really that hard to keep a door open?”

Jungwoo lets out a gasp as he turns around, seeing Taeyong’s eyes widen before he pushing Jungwoo in, following in closely behind as he shuts the door rather aggressively. Jungwoo backs up, feeling particularly worried already. He doesn’t want to move.

“Jungwoo, shift. Hurry!” Taeyong hisses out through his teeth before a thud could be heard behind the door.

“Taeyong! I swear, let me in!”

“Jungwoo!” Taeyong says barely loud enough for Jungwoo to hear.

Jungwoo nods as he back father, hitting the coach before he forces himself to calm down, taking in deep breaths before letting them go. He needs to calm down before he’s able to shift. Jungwoo focuses carefully as he feels his tail begin to form behind him.

Jungwoo focuses harder as he brings his cat ears back, feeling his hearing shift into something more sensitive.

Jungwoo keeps going, focusing hard on shifting as-

The last thing Jungwoo could remember in that moment was hearing the door swing open.

Then a pair of eyes laid upon Jungwoo’s form.

Then a ear-piercing scream echoed across the small room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tHIS ISNT A LUWOO FIC I SWEAR I just think their friendship is cute 😔 Also comment who u ship in NCT lol Curious cause I mainly ship smaller ships I think the only major ship I actually ship is Markhyuck lol (I miss Hyuckie >:((() ALSO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT I LOVE ATTENTION 🤪 LASTLY STAN TREASURE 13 FOR CLEAR SKIN AND HAPPINESS FOREVER OKAY BYE 🤩


	3. I felt it was a familiar sound, it wasn’t a dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took so long to update eye- I’m sorry Dowoo nation I did y’all dirty,,, TT TT But!! I hope y’all enjoy this chapter!! 🥺👉👈

“KITTY!”

Jungwoo flinched back at the loud voice as he hears Taeyong let out a sigh of relief. Jungwoo feels himself be picked up off the ground as a hand runs through his back.

“Jeno, don’t harass my cat. Don’t scream so loud either, someone might file a complaint or worse call the cops on us!” Doyoung scolds, Jungwoo sees as the teenager- Jeno- turns his head to pout at Doyoung, still petting Jungwoo in the process. Doyoung lets out a loud groan as he drops a load of full plastic bags onto the counter. He leans back, arching his back before sighing.

“Acting like a full fledged grandpa already?” Taeyong comments, leaning back onto the counter as he picks a sweet from a dish laying on the surface, twisting it open before tossing the small candy into his mouth.

“Haha. You’re hilarious. Why’d you go out anyways? Did you leave my cat alone?” Doyoung questions. Jungwoo would’ve kept listening in if the boy petting his fur hadn’t pulled away, asking a question.

“Hey, I’ve been around you for quite a bit now, but my allergies aren’t acting up…” 

_Fuck._

Jungwoo feels as if he let off a bead of sweat. He glances up at Jeno who’s staring down at him.

A pause.

…

Then the boy smiles.

“I guess you’re just special like that, huh?”

Jungwoo lets out an internal sigh of relief as Jeno continues to pet him with a cute grin on his face.

“I just went out for a quick walk, nothing much.” Taeyong replies, hooking his finger around a bag and pulling it towards him. Jungwoo listens as loud rufflings of the bag could be heard.

“You think he’s hungry? Should we feed him now?” Doyoung asks as he digs through the plastic bag, pulling out a box that displayed a contraption that held together two dishes.

“Hmmm. Let’s see. Jungwoo, are you hungry?” Taeyong says as his eyes twist over to glance at Jungwoo, a small smirk appearing on his face as his tail swung knowingly. Jungwoo’s eyes partially widen before he shuts them softly for a moment before opening them once again.

“M-Mrreow?”

As he lets out the noise, he feels as Jeno cuddles him closer, cooing him even more than he was previously. He also takes note of the way Doyoung’s face contours up in confusion.

“Jungwoo?”

“That’s his name.” Taeyong stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“You named my cat?”

“It was a name he responded to, so I thought that he might as well use it.” Taeyong shrugs as he tips the bag over, pouring out all the contents onto the counter.

“I guess he did meow at back… Don’t you think Jungwoo is a bit too… humanly though?” Doyoung questions as he rips off the sticker holding the box closed.

“I think it suits him.” Jeno chirps up. Jungwoo twists his head upwards to be faced with the teenager looking down at him with the prettiest smile and Jungwoo has decided to like this- Jeno.

Doyoung takes one look at Jeno’s fond gaze at his cat and smiled softly at his younger brother.

“Jungwoo, it is then.” Doyoung nods as he pulls at the dish contraption before it snaps out, giving Doyoung a slight whiplash.

Jungwoo would’ve chuckled at his owner if he could, but instead he decided to lick at Jeno’s fingers who squeals at the sight.

“Doyoung, I’m in love with Jungwoo. Can I keep him, please?” Jeno says, dragging out the ‘e’ syllable in his “please”. Jeno looks over his shoulder to stare at Doyoung with a puppy eyed look on his face. Doyoung pulls out a small can of cat food as he rolls his eyes.

“A cat is a lot of responsibility, Jeno. Just focus on school, your close friends, and relationships for now.”

Jeno lets out a soft grumble before he mutters under his breath, still stroking Jungwoo’s fur in the process.

“You’re just jealous I have two cute boyfriends and you have none.” Jeno pouts as he gently pushes Jungwoo off his lap, standing up before walking over to Doyoung’s fridge, and pulling out a water bottle.

“I don’t even know how you got Renjun and Jaemin to date you. Those two are absolute angels.” Doyoung comments as he opens a small can of cat food.

Jungwoo loses focus on their conversation as he returns to his own thoughts.

_Doyoung doesn’t have a boyfriend?_

Jungwoo finds the thought intriguing. Entertaining in a way. Of course, he would never act upon that fact or anything along those lines.

Doyoung is Jungwoo’s owner.

He’ll provide Jungwoo with a shelter and food.

That’s it.

The end of the line with nothing more to it.

Jungwoo stretches, letting a yawn fall from his snout. He claws gently at the carpet before landing his body somewhere along the couch.

The whole situation turns mundane as words that come from Taeyoung, Doyoung, and Jeno, all settle down into white noise.

“Hey, Taeyong? I’ve been meaning to ask, but why is there a pile of clothes next to Jungwoo?” Doyoung abruptly questions. It snaps Jungwoo’s eyes open as his anxiousness renters his small body.

_Shoot! We didn’t hide it before I shifted!_

Jungwoo shifts around uncomfortably. Taeyong, however, replies calmly, “Oh. Jungwoo seemed intrigued by my bag, so I kinda just dumped everything out to see why he was so interested. He got pretty comfortable with the clothes that were in there, so I kinda just let him lay in them. I hope you don’t mind.”

As those words leave Taeyong’s mouth, Jungwoo makes an effort to stretch before walking over to the pile of clothes he had been wearing less than an hour ago. He circles the pile of fabric before peacefully plopping himself down; it’s still warm.

“I don’t mind. He seems pretty comfortable, I guess.” Doyoung comments. Jungwoo internally sighs in reassurance. “Jungwoo, are you hungry?”

Jungwoo’s ears perk up at the question.

_Well…_

_He supposed that he was a little hungry…_

Jungwoo gets up and walks over to Doyoung, looking up at him expectedly as Doyoung holds the tray above his head.

“Mrow?”

Jungwoo catches the small smile on Doyoung’s face before he places Jungwoo’s meal by his paws. Jungwoo licks around his mouth before he digs in. 

_Wow, I must actually be in heaven right now. I haven’t eaten this much in so long!_

“Hey, Doyoung.” Taeyoung suddenly speaks up. Doyoung turns his head to face the other hybrid.

“Yeah?”

Jungwoo looks up at the same time the single word leaves Doyoung’s mouth, still chewing his food as he witness Taeyong speak to Doyoung, but face him directly.

“Take good care of Jungwoo.” Taeyong says before he smiles.

Jungwoo’s heart melts just that tiniest bit from the gesture.

***

Doyoung stretches lightly after he dumps the last cardboard box into the trash, groaning lightly in the process. Jungwoo walks up to him gently, his tail swaying from one side to the other as he looks up to the human.

“Mrreow?” Jungwoo tilts his head lightly.

“That’s the last of it, Jungwoo.” Doyoung grabs his phone off of the counter, glancing down in order to check the time. A frown appears on Doyoung’s face. “It’s already late, but I still don’t have my assignment finished.”

Doyoung lets out a sigh before he looks down at Jungwoo who’s by his feet.

“Meow?”

A slight tilt of Doyoung’s lips.

“I guess I could just copy Johnny’s before class tomorrow.” Doyoung lets the comment leave his mouth before he lifts Jungwoo off his feet, “For now, I guess I’ll just hang out with you. Okay, Jungwoo?~”

Doyoung coos Jungwoo lightly before tapping his nose gently with his finger. Jungwoo shakes his head at the sudden action, but nevertheless accepts it wholesomely. Jungwoo purrs gently as he’s carried into Doyoung’s room. Doyoung carefully places Jungwoo onto his bed before taking a couple steps back and walking over towards his closet. Doyoung opens the said closet and begins to remove his shirt- an action that takes Jungwoo by surprise as his fur began to lift upwards and his eyes widened before he turned around.

_That came out of nowhere! Why is he changing in front of me!_

_…_

_Oh yeah. I’m a cat._

Jungwoo shuts his eyes closed, trying to calm his heart rate down before he hears the closet close.

_...Is he done?_

“Jungwoo!”

The cat hybrid is taken by surprise when the human lifts him up, sliding into his bed before plopping Jungwoo on top of his chest. He listens attentively to Doyoung as the boy inhales before exhaling softly. The soft rhythm vibrating through the air and Jungwoo’s small body.

The two stay like that for a couple moments.

Jungwoo’s ears were used to the long silence between them so they twitch delicately as Doyoung begins to mumble words.

“You’re not allowed on the bed, but this is comfortable so I’ll let you stay for tonight, Jungwoo…”

Jungwoo closes his eyes.

He would be lying if he said he didn’t wish for that moment to last forever.

The heat surrounding Jungwoo is overwhelming, yet so addicting at the same time. Doyoung’s heartbeat gently vibrates through Jungwoo’s fur and the hybrid can’t help purring as the human runs his hands through his body.

They stay like that for minutes before the hand brushing through Jungwoo’s fur suddenly stops. Jungwoo opens his eyes gently, glancing up to check on his human…

Jungwoo’s breath feels like it’s being taken away as his eyes run through his owner’s face.

_He’s insanely handsome._

Maybe it was the way Doyoung’s cheeks puffed out just the right amount, the way his nose curved perfectly, the way his hair framed his face in the most beautiful way, or the way his eyes fluttered the slightest bit in his sleep, or maybe it was his lips.

Jungwoo couldn’t stop staring at them.

They looked too soft and the way they trembled gently...

Jungwoo wanted a taste.

Maybe that’s what caused Jungwoo to slowly start to shift.

He felt his legs grow out first, before everything else followed. Jungwoo kept the ears and tails per usual, but due to the rush into shifting, his eyes were still the same bright brown as they were as a cat, his whiskers still protruded out of his face, and his nails were still as sharp as ever.

Jungwoo lets out a shaky exhale as he stopped his shifting there.

“D-Doyoung…?” Jungwoo murmurs.

Doyoung doesn’t reply.

The hybrid shifts around slightly until his face was less than inches away from Doyoung’s.

Jungwoo couldn’t stop himself.

He leaned in before pressing a quick peck onto Doyoung’s cheek.

“Eep!” Jungwoo makes the high pitched noise before he hops off of Doyoung, his hands pressed tightly to his blushing cheeks.

_What did I just do!?_

Jungwoo heart feels as it just ran marathons as it beats rapidly against his chest.

He exhales deeply before twisting his head to look at Doyoung.

…

He’s fast asleep.

Jungwoo sighs, closing his eyes in the process.

_I can’t be doing this. Doyoung…_

Jungwoo opens his eyes, looking down once again at Doyoung.

He presses gently onto the collar around his neck.

_Doyoung is my owner. He’s nothing more than that. He can’t be anything more than that._

Jungwoo’s eyes narrow before he closes his eyes, shifting back into his complete cat form.

Jungwoo looks up at the bed, contemplating whether to jump onto it and fall asleep on Doyoung’s chest, in the same position he was just minutes ago…

Jungwoo goes against that idea, shaking his head at even just the thought.

He walks over to his own bed on the floor before laying down.

***

Jungwoo watches as Doyoung rushes around the room, his bright brown eyes catching his owner run back and forth, over and over and over again, hurrying around the apartment as the male grabs at multiple things. Jungwoo had been following him around at first, his curious mind wondering why Doyoung was bolting around the rooms, but he eventually got bored and decided to simply lay on the kitchen’s island counter, his paws tucked under his body.

He watches as Doyoung grabs a book from the coffee table, before dashing over to the door, slipping on his shoes. 

“Jungwoo, I’m going out! Stay safe!” Doyoung says, reaching far over in order to pet Jungwoo’s head before he opens the door and slips out.

Out? Out where?

Jungwoo finds himself leaping off of the counter, walking over to the door before meowing loudly and clawing at the door. Jungwoo was about to panic when he believed Doyoung wasn’t coming back until he remembered something Taeyong had said.

_“Do you even have time to care for a cat, Doyoung? You’re a university student. We barely have time for ourselves, Doyoung. Don’t be selfish.”_

Oh, right. University… Doyoung is still a student, huh? Jungwoo lets out an internal groan before he prances over to the couch, hopping up before laying down. He stays like that for a couple minutes, rolling around trying to get comfortable with the loud ticking of the clock hanging up on the wall.

I should… look around and get used to the place, right?

Jungwoo’s mind wanders off it’s tracks as his thoughts re-enters a dangerous point of space.

_Wouldn’t that be better to do if I shifted?_

His head and all logical ideas point straight to no, but Jungwoo can’t help himself from going back to that unfamiliar territory once again. So that’s what he does. He closes his eyes, and shifts.

...

 Once Jungwoo opens his eyes again, a smile immediately appears upon his face as he jumps up from the couch, landing on his feet before stretching out his limbs, letting a soft groan fall from his lips. The first thing Jungwoo does is grab a glass from the kitchen, filling it up with water before taking a light sip. He decides to walk around, tail swirling in the air as he travels room to room to even random closets with his glass of water in hand. He eventually finds himself back inside Doyoung’s bedroom. Jungwoo takes a seat when he notices the pile of Taeyong’s clothes still left by his bed.

“Hmmm.” Jungwoo places his glass of water upon the bed stand, walking over to the pile of clothing. He stands over the clothes, hovering over the pieces of fabric for a couple of moments before reaching down to grab the pile into his arms. Jungwoo finds himself slipping into the same clothes he wore yesterday, walking over to the mirror just like he did the day before.

Once again, he’s still taken by awe. Jungwoo watches his reflection happily, swinging his tail back and forth with purpose as he bats his eyes. Jungwoo suddenly feels chirper as he decides to explore more. He starts by opening the closet he’s seen Doyoung open multiple times now. It’s quite filled with a good selection of clothes. Jungwoo looks down to his own body, realizing how _basic_ his clothes was. He looks back into Doyoung’s closet.

_… He would mind if I-? Right?_

Jungwoo looks around as if there was someone or something watching him (spoilers: there isn’t) before he reaches his hand into the hangers, grabbing at the most colorful thing he saw. Jungwoo pulls out a hoodie with a simple color block design. The colors being red, blue, and yellow, respectively. He shuts the closet doors closed before walking over to the mirror once more. Jungwoo leans in, examining himself carefully. He looks down at the fabric in his hands, raising it up before tossing it over his head. His ears poke out first, and Jungwoo finds himself struggling a tad before he finally shimmied his way through the hoodie. Jungwoo pulls and tugs at the fabric until it looks a bit more flattering on his body and then grins.

Jungwoo proceeds to hop over to his glass, picking it up before noticing the drawers that were part of the bedside table. Jungwoo’s curiosity got the best of him, and he found himself opening the bottom drawer first. It’s a bit of a mess. Miscellaneous items shoved into it hazardly. The main things Jungwoo could see were a few small notebooks stacked up, a tube of something, a couple of pens, and a box of tissues. Nothing that really intrigued Jungwoo so he simply closed it shut. Jungwoo then opened the top drawer.

He only found one thing: a photo book.

Jungwoo’s eyebrows furrowed as his ears twitch upon his head. He places his glass of water back down onto the stand before he clutches at the photo book, lifting it up from its original state. He gently sits down upon Doyoung’s bed, feeling as his body slowly sinks. Jungwoo delicately turns open to the first page.

It’s a picture of a boy. 

He has his back turned away from the camera so Jungwoo can’t see his face, therefore he also can’t recognize who the person is. Jungwoo tilts his head in confusion with a slight hint of interest as he turns to the next page. 

_Oh, we could see his face here._

The boy has a small face with big bright eyes, a cute small nose, and pretty lips. Even though Jungwoo is quite confident that he makes as an attractive person, he doesn’t know how he’d compare to this guy. The boy had adorable fluffy hair that laid across his forehead as his tiny hands wrapped around a drink. His cheeks were a soft pink as he smiled at the camera. Jungwoo found himself wondering if Doyoung had taken the photo and what his relationship to this boy was. Jungwoo quickly found the answer to his question as he kept looking through the pages.

There were photos of Doyoung in the photo book too, looking younger than he was now, but Jungwoo could still recognize him as his owner. The main focus, however, was the photos Jungwoo saw of his owner smiling, holding hands, hugging, and even _kissing_ the other boy in the photo book.

_But… I could’ve sworn Jeno mentioned that Doyoung wasn’t with someone…_

Jungwoo continues turning pages only to reach the end; the photos don’t fill up the photo book completely. Nothing looks recent.

“He must be an ex.” Jungwoo concludes. The hybrid shuts the book closed, carefully repositioning it back in the drawer before pushing it closed.

Jungwoo picks up his glass once again, holding it tightly in his hands as he walks back to the kitchen, rinsing the cup with tap water before leaving it in the sink. Something feels like it’s crawling on his back, and he feels… guilty.

Should he have looked inside that drawer? Inside that photo book?

Jungwoo feels like he’s seen something he wasn’t supposed, a strange feeling creeps up his body.

“I need a breather.” Jungwoo murmurs, ruffling his hair before walking over to the front door. Jungwoo slips on a random pair of shoes as he shifts in order to rid of his ears and tail. The shoes are a tad bit big on him so Jungwoo makes sure to tighten up the laces, tying it into a cute bow. Jungwoo opens the door and slips outside with ease.

Jungwoo lets out a sigh as he shoves his hands into the hoodie’s pocket, walking towards the elevator. He presses the button, the same way he remembers Taeyong doing, and waits. The door eventually opens up, revealing a handful of strangers he doesn’t recognize. The strangers leave past the doors without giving a single glance to Jungwoo. He decides to see that as a positive thing. Jungwoo presses the bottom floor button as the doors begin to close. He waits for a couple more moments before the doors open once again, revealing the bottom floor. The hybrid cautiously takes his first few steps out of the elevator before he looks around.

No one seems to care about Jungwoo’s presence. A few people stare, but Jungwoo does his best to ignore them. He makes his way out of the building, feeling the immediate breeze hit his face, lifting his hair up softly before delicately placing it back down. Jungwoo looks up, realizing how big the building Doyoung lived in actually was. He laughs to himself gently before making his way into the town, making sure not to take any routes too complex so that he can make his way back. Jungwoo purposefully brushes his arm or leg against walls or random bushes in order to leave a slight scent of himself, just in case he got really lost and needed some way to find his way back. As Jungwoo continues walking and exploring, he’s taken by surprise when a hand comes over his mouth, and he’s suddenly pulled into an alley.

_What the fuck?!_

Jungwoo mind instantly goes into a panic mode as the crowd disappears before his eyes. He squirms and struggles against the strong force holding him back to no avail. Jungwoo is scared. _Oh my goodness._ He’s absolutely _terrified._ He feels like he can’t breath, scratching desperately at the hand over his mouth. Jungwoo feels as the person’s hand is removed, and he screams the first word he could think of.

“DOYOUNG!”

“Doyoung? Who’s that?” The voice of the person who pulled him into the alley says, removing their hands off of Jungwoo. Jungwoo turns his head and his widen and slightly watery eyes stare at the man in front of him.

“Oh my gosh! Lucas!” Jungwoo almost bursts into tears as he lunges forward, wrapping his arms around the younger. “How could you do something like that to me!? I was so scared, holy crap! Never do something like that again!”

Lucas laughs before wrapping his arms around the hybrid, petting his black hair gently. “Sorry. I thought it’d be a cool surprise! I didn’t mean to scare you like that.”

Jungwoo looks up with his watery eyes which causes Lucas lets out another loud chuckle before he releases Jungwoo from his hold, pulling at his sleeves before wiping at Jungwoo’s tears.

“Don’t cry! It’s okay, it’s just me! I’m sorry!” Lucas tries to wipe at Jungwoo cheeks once again before the hybrid pushes his hands away.

“I just missed you, okay? I didn’t know if I’d be able to find you again! Let me have this moment.” Jungwoo mumbles, wiping at his own tears, and accidentally pushing his own hair into his eyes. He makes a noise of disapproval which Lucas laughs at before he pushes the hybrid’s hair out of his way.

“Your hair is really long, you should get a cut or at least a trim soon.” Lucas mentions, pushing Jungwoo’s hair around for a while until he was satisfied with the results. “And where are your ears!? Your tail?! You’re a lot cuter with them there.”

Jungwoo rolls his eyes.

 “Gee, thanks.” He rubs at his eyes again. They’re puffy and his cheeks are red now, but Jungwoo tries to simply ignore them. “Come on, you know why I don’t like walking with them around. People look at you weird and judge you without any idea of who you really are.”

Lucas pouts, interlocking his arm with Jungwoo’s, walking out of the alley, dragging Jungwoo along with him. “I don’t care about what others think, Jungwoo. And you shouldn’t either! Anyways, I have a friend who works at a hair salon near here. I’ll take you!”

Lucas smiles brightly before he starts running, Jungwoo’s hand in his own.

“W-What? Wait!” Jungwoo shouts, having to run to keep up with the man child he was with. They run through crowds, yelling out their apologies without looking back. Jungwoo suddenly laughs while they rush to their destination. A bright smile on his face.

_He missed having this._

***

“Sicheng~!” Lucas shouts in a loving tone as he rushes over to this- Sicheng? Jungwoo simply sneaks through the door, ignoring the few glances he got. Once Jungwoo got in, the first thing he witnesses is Lucas getting scolded by the other in a language he didn’t understand- presumably Chinese. The only word he was able to catch being “Yukhei” which he knew was his best friend’s name. He watches as Lucas pouts before he glances over to Jungwoo, his smile quickly returning to his face.

“Jungwoo! Come here! Meet Sicheng!” Lucas says in a loud and overly happy mood. Sicheng face palms himself before he raises his arm in the air.

“Kun! Can you take over here, I’m gonna help Yukhei with his friend.” Sicheng says before he gently starts dusting himself off. Jungwoo sees as Lucas makes a motion calling him over. Jungwoo listens naturally, awkwardly making his way over to the pair.

“Hi.” Jungwoo manages to squeak out. Jungwoo watches as Sicheng’s face cracks a soft smile, he seems to have held back a giggle.

“Sicheng is a hybrid like you, Jungwoo!” Lucas says, bouncing in his heels like an overly hyper child as he lightly pushes his body against Sicheng. The boy chuckles before he shifts in front of Jungwoo, who watches in awe as ears and tail appear.

“Specially a puppy hybrid. I usually have them out, but I don’t at work anymore due to a customer complaining that they didn’t want me to shed my fur on them.” Sicheng scoffs, “Which is completely stupid, by the way, because we shed as much fur as humans do with their own head of hair. Even if I DID shed more hair, it’s just my ears and tail, how much fur would even get on them?”

Sicheng sighs.

“Anyways, Lucas mentioned you needed a cut? Just come over here.” Sicheng gestures for Jungwoo to follow him. The cat hybrid follows him as Lucas goes to chat with (also see: disturb) the other employees. Sicheng directs Jungwoo to a seat, which he takes gratefully. The puppy hybrid leans over, grabbing a spray bottle before lightly spraying at Jungwoo’s hair.

“What type of hybrid are you, Jungwoo?” Sicheng says as he places down the bottle, grabbing at a couple hair clips. “It’s okay. You could shift around me. It’s safe.”

Jungwoo looks around. Nobody is looking at either one of them. Jungwoo looks at their reflection in the mirror, Sicheng isn’t making eye contact with him, the hybrid being too focused to pinning up specific sections of his hair up. Jungwoo glances up at Sicheng who looks so _gentle_ and _kind_ before he takes a deep breath. And shifts.

...

“Oh! You’re a cat hybrid. That’s cute. I’m not friends with any cat hybrids yet. Maybe you could be my first?” Sicheng comments with a smile, reaching over again to grab his scissors. Jungwoo blushes lightly.

“Uh- Yeah! Of course!” The cat hybrid blurts out, his cheeks turning a bright pink which causes Sicheng to laugh, muttering out a ‘cute’. Jungwoo plays around with the string of his hoodie as his tail softly waves to his side. It takes a moment, but Jungwoo decides to speak up. “You know other hybrids? I only know one, and he’s also a cat hybrid. I mean, that’s if you exclude yourself.”

“Well, my little brother, Renjun, is a puppy hybrid like me naturally. I’m also dating a wolf hybrid and a lion hybrid so that’s a bit wild.” Sicheng giggles as he starts to snip at Jungwoo’s hair, “But generally? We don’t make up a big percent of the population. So, it is a bit difficult to find other hybrids, you know? Plus, there’s still hybrids out there who decide to pretend to be full human or full animal. I get a bit sad when I see that happen. I understand why they would, but I also wish they knew how much potential they have.”

Jungwoo bites his bottom lip as he witnesses chunks of hair fall in front of his face.

“Did I- say something wrong? Your tail stopped waving.” Sicheng mumbles, cutting another chunk of his hair. Jungwoo lightly shakes his head.

“It’s nothing, I’m okay.” Jungwoo says, curling his fingers over each other, “Really.”

Sicheng hums under his breath as a response. He unclips a section of Jungwoo’s hair before reaching over to grab a hairdryer. Sicheng turns it on, blowing off any random stray hairs, and making sure Jungwoo’s hair looks right. The puppy hybrid smiles, styling Jungwoo’s hair lightly, before turning the machinery off.

“You’re done!” Sicheng announces. Jungwoo hadn’t exactly been paying attention to his cut so when he looks up into the mirror he’s taken by shock. You could already tell Jungwoo was pretty, but without all that hair in the way, and the way Sicheng made it look all soft and fluffy, it was _extremely_ obvious how pretty Jungwoo was. Jungwoo flopped his ears around on his head, his tail began to swing around happily.

“Wow… It’s so nice! You made me look a lot prettier!” Jungwoo speaks, standing up in the process. The puppy hybrid giggles before ruffing Jungwoo’s hair, who whines gently.

“It’s mainly you being adorable, don’t give me all the credit.” Sicheng teases as he begins to clean up the area a tad bit. “So, how are you gonna pay me back for all of this?”

Jungwoo’s eyes widened before he turns around and looks at Sicheng, his ears flat upon his head. “O-Oh… I don’t have any money… I’m sorry, what can I do?”

“Oh my gosh, Jungwoo, no! I was just joking! You’re my friend now! Consider it free, just for you.” Sicheng laughs, poking Jungwoo’s nose with the tip of his finger. “Anyways, I have other customers to work with. Can you leave and take Lucas with you? And make sure you visit a lot, okay?”

Jungwoo nods eagerly as he hugs Sicheng tightly in his arms, who laughs gingerly before returning the hug.

“Thank you! I’ll make sure to come a lot!” Jungwoo giggles before he lets go of Sicheng. Jungwoo rushes over to Lucas, stopping the boy’s conversation by grabbing his arm. Jungwoo starts skipping out of the shop, his hand tightly wrapped around Lucas. As they exit the doors, Jungwoo lets go of Lucas’ arm, playing with a strand of hair as he grins at the younger.

“Sicheng did it for me! Isn’t it pretty?” Jungwoo mentions. Lucas’ eyes widen before he chuckles, leaning forward and squishing Jungwoo’s cheeks.

“It looks great! Is that what you’re so happy about? I’d give you all the hair cuts you want if it makes you this smiley!” Lucas teases, a bright smile upon his lips as he stares at the older.

Jungwoo groans loudly, his eyebrows furrowed as he pushes Lucas’ hands away.

“Hey! I’m older than you, you know that?” Jungwoo complains, “Plus, if I’d go bald if I got so many hair cuts, idiot.”

Lucas dramatically grasps at his shirt, right where his heart would be. “I’m sorry, hyung. I thought we were close enough to where age wouldn’t matter. And who knows?! Maybe bald would suit you?” Jungwoo laughs before hitting Lucas’ head.

“Firstly, I refuse to be bald. Secondly, maybe I’ll let our ages aside, if you buy me a milkshake?” Jungwoo mentions his craving, batting his eyelashes as he gives Lucas his best puppy eyes (kitten eyes?). Lucas sighs, groaning out loud.

“This is unfair! You know I always give into you.” Lucas complains, pulling his phone out to find the nearest place to retrieve Jungwoo’s wanted milkshake. Jungwoo giggles softly as he leans in, looking over their choices. He was peacefully watching as Lucas scrolled through their options before he suddenly felt a sharp sense of pain.

“OUCH!” The hybrid shouted, hopping away from the source of pain.

“Haeun, no!” A female voice shouts. Jungwoo turns around to see a little girl playing around with his tail. A woman swept the small child up in her arms, forcing her to let go of Jungwoo’s tail.

“But mommy! Look! He’s so pretty!” The tiny girl whined, trying to squirm out of her mother’s grasp.

“That doesn’t mean you go grabbing at him like that!” The woman turns to face Jungwoo, “I am so sorry. She really doesn’t know better.”

Jungwoo watches as the woman walks off with her child, still lecturing her softly. He sighs as soon as they leave his point of vision.

“I forgot I still had these.” Jungwoo murmurs, touching his ear gently with his fingers. He lets out another small sigh before he closes his eyes and shifts them away, ignoring Lucas’ complaints.

“Why’d you get rid of them!?” Lucas whines, running his hand through Jungwoo’s hair like if he did it enough times, Jungwoo’s ears would peek through, even though they were currently on the side of his head like a normal human being.

“We get it, you’re a furry, Xuxi.” Jungwoo jokes, rolling his eyes playfully, “Come on, let’s go to that cute cafe, it looked pretty good.” Jungwoo pats Lucas’ dejected head before he holds the younger’s hand, making their way through the crowds once again. Together.

***

The waitress carefully delivers their order to their table, Jungwoo’s vanilla milkshake, Lucas’ hot chocolate, and some fries to share between the two. Jungwoo thanks the girl with a smile on his face, and the petite girl blushes, tucking her hair behind her ear before rushing off to help with the next customers.

“Jungwoo, you really are a heartthrob…” Lucas claims, shaking his head as he shoves a couple fries in his mouth.

“What? I just thanked her. It ain’t that deep.” Jungwoo says, taking a bite out of a single fry.

“You’re just too pretty for your own good, Jungwoo. Your owner must be dodging girls left and right who come for you.” 

Jungwoo chokes on his fry.

“I-I’m sorry, what?” Jungwoo coughs out, eyes widened, his hand placed over his mouth. Lucas tilts his head, his face contorted up in confusion.

“Your owner?” Lucas says, pointing towards Jungwoo’s neck, “You’ve been wearing a collar all day. So you must have an owner, right? Are they treating you well?”

Jungwoo brings his hand to his collar, delicately touching it.

_I forgot I even had this on…_

Jungwoo leaves his hand there for a while longer before he removes the collar from around his neck, looking down at it carefully.

That’s when Jungwoo was brought back to reality. He was having so much fun, he forgot he wouldn’t be able to be out on the daily like this. Jungwoo completely forgot he had a home to go to now. He forgot entirely that he’d have to live his life as a mere _house cat._ Would he be able to visit Sicheng as much as he promised. What about Lucas? His Yukhei? Jungwoo looks up to see the boy sipping on his hot chocolate, his cheeks are noticeably a warm red. What about Xuxi? Lucas can’t hang out with _a cat..._ And Doyoung… What about Doyoung? Jungwoo has to be home for him when he comes back from classes and Jungwoo doesn’t know _how_ long he’s been out.

Wait.

Jungwoo doesn’t know how long he’s been out for, nor how long Doyoung would be out for.

_It’s at least been a couple hours!_

Jungwoo panics as he calls a waiter over, asking them for cups and a box to go as he shoves his collar into his pocket.

“Jungwoo? What’s wrong? We just got here.” Lucas says, grabbing the box the waiter provided them as he starts dumping the rest of their fries in. Jungwoo grabs the cherry on his milkshake by its stem, sucking the excess shake off before biting the whole thing off into his mouth.

“I don’t know when my owner will be back. I need to be home before he gets back!” Jungwoo continues to chew as he holds the cup in place before pouring his milkshake from the tall glass into his sad to-go cup.

“You don’t know what time your owner comes back?” Lucas questions as he also pours his drink out of its mug.

“Well, I mean, he only got me yesterday…” Jungwoo mumbles, snapping the lid over his cup.

“I’m sorry. WHAT?!” Lucas shouts, which causes Jungwoo to jump forward, placing his hand over Lucas’ mouth as he shushes him. Jungwoo looks around to see that they’ve caught a good amount of attention. He gives them all an awkward smile before he removes his hand from Lucas’ mouth, sighing deeply.

“Let’s go, Xuxi. I should be home soon.” Jungwoo says sternly, grabbing his milkshake and taking a sip before he begins walking towards the door. Lucas pays before he rushes out to follow Jungwoo.

“Jungwoo! What do you mean!? How did you live after my family left?” Lucas questions as Jungwoo pushes the door open, slipping back into the outside world. Jungwoo purposely ignores the younger as he continuously walks. 

“Jungwoo!” Lucas shouts, grabbing onto Jungwoo’s arm which the hybrid quickly rips away.

“I was living as a stray, okay!? I was fine on my own!” Jungwoo yells, before he twists his body around and keeps walking, leaving behind Lucas, who looked at him worriedly.

“You know that’s not what I meant, Woo…” Lucas mumbles. Jungwoo freezes in his steps, letting out a sigh before he turned around. Jungwoo walks towards Lucas with his head down, only directing it back up to the younger when he was right in front of him.

“I know. I’m sorry, it’s just-“ Jungwoo starts before he feels someone bump into him. _Hard_. Jungwoo jerks his head around as his eyes widen.

He recognized the person who bumped into him immediately, without any sort of hesitation. Those familiar feelings from last night returns to his body. His heartbeat fastened, and Jungwoo could feel the similar type of warmth when their eyes meet.

“S-Sorry! I didn’t mean to bump into you-“

_Kim Doyoung._

His owner is in front of him, currently blushing as he stammered out words.

“I mean, I kinda did? Wait- no. I uh- I mean- y-you’re very pretty!” Doyoung blurted out. Doyoung lets out an awkward laugh as he rubs the back of his neck, looking at Jungwoo cautiously.

Jungwoo smiled softly as he stared back at Doyoung.

_Yep… This man is most definitely my owner._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Funfact- I was thinking about splitting this chapter into two because it ended up being wAY longer than I expected it to lmao. But in the end I decided not to because I had y’all wait lik 6 months for this chapter already 😔🤙
> 
> Also I have a Twitter so y’all could tag me on Dowoo things- or whatever u want ig 🥰🥰 
> 
>  @x1_yohanluvbot
> 
> I also have a curious cat now so y’all could leave me whatever questions you have there!! Tbh I prefer comments on here but I am more likely to respond on my CC lol
> 
> https://curiouscat.me/puppy_nielie
> 
> Anyways im sorry for making y’all wait so much I’m trying my best to make this fic actually gOOd and I’m still a beginner writer whose not that confident in their writing which leaves me demotivated a lot of the times so- 👉👈 Not only that but I have more projects than just this one so it’s a-lOT to write but I’ll try my best for y’all Dowoo nation 😩👌👌
> 
> (PS I know some authors don’t like it but if I’m taking too long- bother me about updating because it kinda motivates me because I think- Oh! Someone’s actually interested in reading and is excited for the next chapter!)


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